Houston Methodist researchers identified a key protein as a potential therapeutic target for stopping the body’s immune system from mistakenly attacking itself, offering new hope for treating autoimmune diseases and allergies. The researchers proved if they therapeutically target the protein Apex1 with chemical inhibitors to either turn it off or remove it completely, then this could be a highly effective way to block immune-mediated diseases. The study appeared recently in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

UBC Okanagan researchers create an Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE) to standardize dosing across different consumption methods.

Researchers from University of Tsukuba conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 116 studies to evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity promotion interventions for healthy adults and the components of effective interventions. Their findings showed minor intervention effects, suggesting a need to improve the intervention programs. The researchers identified not only possible effective but also inhibitory intervention components.

Researchers from University of Tsukuba have identified significant discrepancies between subjective and objective assessments of sleep. The study revealed that 66% of individuals who perceived their sleep as poor showed no objective sleep problems, while 45% of those who considered their sleep adequate were objectively sleep-deprived. These findings underscore the inadequacy of subjective sleep assessments for early diagnosis and effective intervention of sleep disorders, highlighting the critical role of objective tools such as sleep electroencephalography.

Antibiotic overuse is a key driver in the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major global health crisis. Researchers from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) and Duke-NUS Medical School have provided compelling evidence that short-course antibiotic treatments can be a game-changer in tackling ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a serious infection common in critically ill patients.